The truth told kindly costs you a moment. A lie told kindly costs you later, with interest.

A kind lie is a loan. You get the comfortable conversation now and pay for it when the person finds out, or when you have to keep the story straight, or when they make a decision based on what you told them. The truth costs one uncomfortable minute and then it is paid. Kindness is about how you say a thing, not whether it is true.

Next time you want to soften something into something else, say the true thing in the gentlest accurate words you can find. Lead with the fact and follow with the care. If you are only protecting yourself from the awkwardness, that is worth noticing.